Elite soldiers mobilize to defend the critical Hostomel airport during the invasion of Ukraine

For the past few years, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon has been building relationships with some of the top commanders and soldiers in the Ukrainian army, following them in the war against Russia. These soldiers have been in the midst of major battles – Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Bakhmut – and many have been fighting Russia since long before the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Today and tomorrow, Mark tells us about this group of elite soldiers, what roles they’ve played in the major battles for Ukraine, and how they think about everything they’ve been through so far.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com